Adjustable footstool



April 15, 1969 J C, SEGUN ET AL 3,438,675

ADJUSTABLE FOOTSTOOL Filed Ju1y-14, 1967 sheet of 2 ATTORN EY April 15,1969 y J. csr-:sum ET AL 3,438,675

ADJUSTABLE FooTs'rooL Filed July 14. 1967 Sheet Z of 21 I I 1 1 l 1 l lI 1 1 AT ORNEY United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 297-439 6 Claims ABSTRACT0F THE DISCLOSURE A footstool comprising a stationary base supportingspaced arcuate rails and an adjustable footrest including arcuatelycurved runners in sliding engagement with the said rails.

The present invention relates to the general art of furnituremanufacture and more particularly is directed to a. footstoolconstructed to be readily adjustable along arcuate paths to suit thecomfort of the user.

Presently available footstools, as currently being manufactured, aregenerally stationary in nature and include more or less decorative basescovered by a pillow or cushion construction. Such prior art stools aregenerally designed from an aesthetic point of view primarily and from acomfort consideration secondarily. Under usual circumstances, the usercan adapt to the design of the footstool and can thus enjoy ease andcomfort without inconvenience with footstools of various dimensions andconfigurations. However, in the case of invalids, convalescents, goutand arthritis sufferers and similar incapacitated persons, in manyinstances, the usual, presently available, stationary stools are notentirely satisfactory, and these aficted persons are unable toconveniently adapt themselves to the available design. Under suchcircumstances, it has been found necessary to provide footstools that.are adjustable in nature so that the individual needs of the user canbe accommodated.

Prior workers in the field have approached the problem and have designedvarious types of adjustable furniture. These prior art designs haveemployed springs, locking pins, motors and other more or lesscomplicated equipment. Such prior art designs have all resulted in eX-tremely expensive and complicated devices. In addition, the verycomplexity of the systems have proved to be a hindrance on manyoccasions, inasmuch as the persons using the stools could not make therequired adjustments without outside aid.

It is therefore an object of the instant invention to provide animproved footsto-ol of the type set forth.

lt is another object of the instant invention to provide an improvedadjustable footstool including sliding, arcuate surfaces.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide an adjustablefootstool featuring interlocking base and footrest construction.

It is another object of this invention to provide an adjustablefootstool including arcuately curved footrest adjusted tracks.

It is another object of this invention to provide an adjustablefootstool wherein the top plane of the footrest may be readily varied.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide an adjustablefootrest that may be readily varied in position by an incapacitated userwithout outside help.

It is another object of this invention to provide an adjustable footrestdesigned to maintain any adjustable position through friction andwithout the need for additional pins, locks or clamps.

It is another object of this invention to provide an adjustable footrestthat is simple in design, rugged in construction and inexpensive inmanufacture.

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Other objects and fuller understanding of the invention will be had byreferring to the following description and claims of a preferredembodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingwherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views and in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. l looking in thedirection of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. l looking in thedirection of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing the footrest rocked to one endof the track, the phantom lines indicating the position of the footrestafter it is rocked to the other end of the track.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a modified footstool construction.

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along line 6 6 of FIG. 5 looking in thedirection of the arrows.

FIG. 7 is a cross section taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5 looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Although specific terms are used in the following description for thesake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to theparticular structure of invention selected for illustration in thedrawings and are not intended to define or limit the scope of theinvention.

Referring now to the drawings we show in FIG. 1 our adjustable footstool10 which includes a stationary supporting structure generally designatedA. and an adjustably movable footrest portion, generally designated B.The footrest B is rockable along arc 12 to a plurality of angularpositions, two of which areindicated as 66, 68 with respect to thesupport A, as will hereinafter be more fully explained and asschematically indicated in FIG. 4.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the support A rises above the floorengaging legs 14, 16, 18, 20. The front and rear faces 22, 24 are spacedby the web 64 and respectively join the legs 16, 18 and 14, 20. The leftand right sides 26, 28 respectively join the legs 14, 16 and 18, 20, allto provide a sturdy, stationary support to operatively engage theadjustable footrest B. Each side 26, 26 terminates upwardly in anarcuate tract 30, 32 which may be L-shaped, as best observed in FIG. 3.The radius of the arc 12 may be widely varied as desired, keeping inmind that as the radius of the arc increases, the possible angularadjustment between the footrest B and the support A decreases.Similarly, as the radius of the arc 12 decreases, the more sharply maythe adjustable angle between support and the footrest be increased.

We prefer to fabricate the support from wooden members to facilitatemanufacture using readily available, woodworking, hand operated tools.However, the support could also be manufactured from other materialssuch as metal or plastic and still fall within the scope of ourinvention. The tracks 3th, 32 may be cut in any well-known manner andare shown with the track bases 34, 36 nearest the legs to provide moresolid support. The "bases respectively inwardly joint the vertical paths38, 40 which terminate upwardly to provide the footrest engaging,arcuately formed, vertical channels. The upwardly positioned sideextensions 56, 58 and 60, 62 respectively define the tracks 3l), 32 andare integrally formed with the sides, 26, 23 to provide unitaryconstruction of great strength.

The footrest B includes a rectangular top 42. which may be fabricatedfrom plywood or chip board. The upper surface of the top 4Z may beupholstered with a pillow 44 if desired and then covered with fabric,leather or plastic 46 in any well known manner to provide a cornfortablesurface for the user. A- pair of arcuately curved, track engagingflanges 48, 5l) perpendicularly depend from the underside of the top a2,and are spaced below the respective left and right edges 52, 54 thereofto respectively contact the tracks 30, 32 in arcuate engagementtherewith. Each flange 48, 50 terminates downwardly in an arcuateextension piece 70, '72 from which the arcuate legs 74, 76 depend atright angles.

It is the essence of this invention that the cross sectionalcongurations of the footrest extensions and arcuate legs 70, 74 and 72,76 are carefully formed to readily respectively fit within the supporttracks 30, 32 and to provide an arcuate sliding engagement. it will beobserved that the top 42 may be easily positioned in any arcuate anglewith respect to the support A by simply sliding the nages 48, 50 in thetracks 30, 32. The friction between the respective surfaces 78, 80; 82,84; 86, 88; and 90, 92 assures that the desired arcuate location will bemaintained once the footrest B has been initially positioned.

In FIGS. -7, we show a modified type of adjustable footstool thatoperates and functions similarly to the footstool hereinabove described.In this modication, the left and right sides 94, 96 are each machined toprovide a pair of similar, inwardly facing, arcuately curved grooves 98,100. Each side 94, 96 terminates upwardly in an arcuate friction.Surface 102, 104 which receives a similarly curved surface 106, 108formed at the bottom of the outside runners 110, 112.

As best seen in FIG. 7, depending from the top 114 at the transverseedges are a pair of outside runners 110, 112 and a pair of insiderunners 116, 118 all of which are arcuately shaped to the Samecurvature. As stated previously, the outside runner friction surfaces106, 108 are in sliding engagement with the right and left side uppersurfaces 102, 104. The inside runners 116, 118 are medially drilled at apoint overlying the grooves 98, 100 to provide holes 120, 122 t0 receivethe guide ends 124, 126 of the cross dowel 128 therein. For reasons bothof structural stability and economy of manufacture, we prefer toconstruct the cross dowel 128 of three-quarters inch round wooden dowel,reduced at each end to onehalf inch to provide the friction ends 124,126. The shoulders 130, 132 formed by the end reduction brace againstthe respective inner runners 116, 118 to provide a sturdy construction.Also, braces 134, 136 connect the sides 94, 96 to lend additionalstrength to the support. If desired, the bottom surfaces 138, 140 o-fthe inside runners 116, 118 can be carried lower for sliding engagementagainst the braces 134, 136.

It is thus seen that we have provided a modified type of adjustablefootstool wherein the arcuate mating surfaces 102, 106 and 104, 108serve to slidingly permit arcuate top adjustment and `frictionallyprevent easy angular displacement. Similarly, the dowel ends 124, 126engaged within the grooves 98, 100 function in the same manner. Andoptionally, the inside runner bottom surfaces could also frictionallyengage the braces 134, 136 if so desired by extending the bottomsurfaces until they touched the braces.

Although we have described `our invention with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details ofconstruction and the combination and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In an adjustable footstool, the combination of (A) a stationary base,

(1) said base having a pair of spaced upwardly extending sides, i

(a) said sides terminating upwardly in arcuately curved surfaces,

(b) and said sides each being cut to provide inwardly facing, arcuategrooves; and

(B) a movable top engageable over the said base,

(l) said top having a pair of spaced outer runners depending therefrom,

(2) said top having a pair of spaced inside runners depending therefrom;and

(C) groove engaging means extending outwardly from the said insiderunners and being respectively slidingly engageable in the said grooves,whereby the position of the top may be arcuately varied with respect tothe said base.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the said outer `runners arearcuately shaped at the bottom thereof, the said arcuate shape being thesame as the said curved surface of the base sides.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the said outer runners are arcuatelyshaped at the bottom thereof, the said arcuate shape being the same asthe said curved surface of the base sides, and wherein the said outerrunners are in respective sliding engagement with the said base sides.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the said inside runners terminatedownwardly in arcuately shaped surfaces, said arcuate shape being thesame as the said curved surface of the base sides.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein the said inside runners terminatedownwardly in arcuately shaped surfaces, said arcuate shape being thesame as the said curved surface of the base sides, and frictional meansin contact with the said arcuately shaped surfaces.

6. In an adjustable footstool, the combination of (A) a stationary hase,

(l) said base having a pair of spaced sides, said sides including curvedtop engaging means,

(a) said top engaging means of the base comprising arcuately curved,L-shaped tracks; and

(B) a movable top engageable over the said base,

(1) said top carrying depending, spaced base engaging means, said baseengaging means overlying the said spaced sides of the base and beingengageable therein,

(a) the said base engaging means comprising arcuately curved, L-shapedengageable ends,

(b) the said engageable ends being in sliding engagement with the saidtracks and having arcuate frictional resistance therewith,

(C) whereby the said arcuate frictional resistance between the saidengageable ends and the said tracks serve to lock the said top in anydesired arcuate angular position relative to the said base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,017,433 lO/l935 Carrington297-439 X 2,219,799 10/ 1940 Zuck et al 297-407 2,528,331 10/1950 Bell297-439 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner.

U.S. C1. X.R. 297-46l

